The Long Drive

# The Long Drive with Intel Core i7-12700KF + Intel Arc B390

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a profoundly GPU-limited experience in The Long Drive, where the CPU's substantial compute resources are largely wasted by a graphics solution that ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Benchmark data shows this combo ranking 2594th out of 2934 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 12% of all system pairings. The i7-12700KF is a top-tier processor—sitting in the 85th percentile of all CPUs—but the Arc B390's performance ceiling caps frame rates so severely that the system's overall capability is defined almost entirely by the integrated graphics solution.

Resolution Scaling

Resolution scaling in The Long Drive reveals an extreme sensitivity to pixel count, with frame rates collapsing by roughly 81% when moving from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings. At 1080p Ultra, the combo manages 34 FPS average; at 1440p Ultra, that drops to 22 FPS; and at 4K Ultra, the system bottoms out at just 12 FPS. This is a textbook example of GPU-bound scaling—the rendering load increases with resolution, and the Arc B390 simply lacks the fill rate and shading throughput to cope.

The scaling pattern becomes even more telling when examining the Low settings tier. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 95 FPS, which is a playable frame rate. Moving to 1440p Low yields 63 FPS, and 4K Low produces 35 FPS. The percentage drops between consecutive resolutions are remarkably consistent: from 1080p to 1440p, performance falls by approximately 34%; from 1440p to 4K, it falls by another 44%. This linear degradation across resolutions indicates that the pixel throughput—not any other bottleneck—is the limiting factor.

At Medium settings, the same pattern holds with slightly compressed numbers: 78 FPS at 1080p, 51 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. The High settings tier shows 49 FPS, 32 FPS, and 18 FPS respectively. Ultra settings, as noted, produce the most dramatic collapse, with 4K Ultra achieving only 12 FPS—a figure that makes the game effectively unplayable at that configuration.

The data suggests that the Arc B390's 24 ROPs and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are the primary constraints. Even at 1080p, the system never approaches the CPU's potential frame delivery capacity; the i7-12700KF can handle far more than 95 FPS in most scenarios, but the GPU's 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is exhausted long before the CPU becomes relevant. This is a GPU-bound system at every resolution and settings combination tested.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF brings substantial compute resources to this pairing: 12 cores, 20 threads, a 3.60 GHz base clock, and a 5.00 GHz boost clock. Built on Intel's 10 nm process with Alder Lake-S architecture, this processor delivers strong multi-threaded performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 and PassMark multi-thread score of 34092. Single-thread performance is equally robust, with Cinebench R23 single-core reaching 4071 and PassMark single-thread at 3984.

However, in The Long Drive, the CPU's role is almost entirely secondary. The benchmark data shows frame rates that are far below what this processor can deliver in CPU-bound scenarios. At 1080p Low, the system hits 95 FPS—a decent number, but one that suggests the GPU is still the constraint, not the CPU. Even at this modest resolution and settings level, the Arc B390's 3 nm Panther Lake chip with 1536 shading units is the limiting factor.

The i7-12700KF's 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample bandwidth for game logic and physics calculations typical of a driving simulation. The CPU's 3DMark 16-thread score of 9282 and max-thread score of 9983 indicate strong multi-core scaling, which matters for simulation-heavy titles. Yet none of this CPU headroom translates into higher frame rates because the GPU cannot keep pace.

What the CPU does contribute is consistency. The measured FPS data shows minimum frame rates that are relatively close to averages at Medium settings: at 1080p Medium, the system averages 78 FPS with a minimum of 66 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it averages 51 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS; at 4K Medium, it averages 29 FPS with a minimum of 24 FPS. These minimums represent roughly 80-85% of the average, indicating that CPU-side frame pacing is stable and that the processor is not introducing stutter or hitches.

The i7-12700KF's 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier suggest headroom for overclocking, and its 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 reflects strong per-core performance. But in this particular game and GPU pairing, the CPU's capabilities are effectively dormant. Users would see identical frame rates with a much weaker processor, as the Arc B390's 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs makes it the absolute bottleneck.

FAQ

*Q: Is this combo capable of running The Long Drive at 1080p?*

A: Yes, at lower settings. The system achieves 95 FPS at 1080p Low and 78 FPS at 1080p Medium. High settings drop to 49 FPS, while Ultra settings fall to 34 FPS. For smooth 60 FPS gameplay, Medium settings at 1080p are the realistic ceiling.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it just 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% ahead of the GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% ahead of the GT 710 (1443). This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the Core i7-12700KF the bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The CPU ranks in the 85th percentile of all CPUs and produces benchmark scores far higher than what The Long Drive requires. The data indicates the GPU is the limiting component at every resolution and settings combination.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p?

A: At 1440p Low, the system averages 63 FPS. Medium settings yield 51 FPS, High settings produce 32 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 22 FPS. For a playable experience at 1440p, Low or Medium settings are recommended.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in The Long Drive?*

A: Barely, and only at Low settings, where it averages 35 FPS. Medium settings drop to 29 FPS, High to 18 FPS, and Ultra to 12 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is essentially unplayable.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its rivals?

A: The i7-12700KF's average benchmark score of 35365 is 0.1% below the Intel Core i7-13700T (35403), 0.2% above the Intel Core i5-13600T (35305), 0.2% below the Intel Core 5 213PE (35428), and 0.2% above the Intel Core i7-12700K (35287). These are effectively identical performance levels.

How This Combo Ranks

This pairing ranks 2594th out of 2934 tested combinations in The Long Drive, placing it in the bottom 11.5% of all system pairings. The rank reflects the severe imbalance between the CPU and GPU components: the i7-12700KF is a high-end processor capable of far more, while the Arc B390's 1482 Steel Nomad score and 9th percentile GPU ranking drag the overall system down.

The combo's rank is primarily a function of the GPU's limitations. When compared to other tested combinations, systems with similar CPU performance but even modest discrete GPUs would rank substantially higher. The i7-12700KF's 85th percentile CPU standing means that the processor alone contributes positively to the rank, but the GPU's contribution is overwhelmingly negative.

Data suggests that this combination sits at the extreme low end of gaming performance. The 12 FPS result at 4K Ultra places it in territory typically occupied by integrated graphics solutions from several generations ago. Even at 1080p Low, the 95 FPS result is respectable but not exceptional, and it drops quickly as settings increase.

The rank also reflects the unusual nature of the Arc B390—a 3 nm Panther Lake chip with 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, operating at a 2500 MHz boost clock with 300 MHz base. Its 80 W TDP and IGP form factor make it more comparable to integrated solutions than discrete graphics cards, which explains why its nearest rivals are the GT 520MX and GT 710—both entry-level parts from previous generations.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the defining component in this system, and its specifications explain the measured performance. Built on Intel's 3 nm process with the Xe3-LPG architecture, this GPU features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. Its 2500 MHz boost clock and 300 MHz base clock produce a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS.

These specifications are modest by modern standards, and the benchmark data confirms this. The GPU's only recorded benchmark is a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% slower), GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% slower), and GT 710 (1443, 2.7% slower)—all legacy entry-level parts.

In The Long Drive, the GPU's role is to render a driving simulation with potentially large draw distances and detailed environments. The 24 ROPs are the primary constraint at higher resolutions, as the 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate is simply insufficient for 4K workloads. The 12 RT cores provide ray tracing capability, but the DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) support is largely theoretical given the low overall throughput.

Memory is another limiting factor: the Arc B390 uses System Shared memory, meaning bandwidth is "System Dependent" and cannot be quantified independently. This shared memory architecture further constrains performance, particularly at higher resolutions where texture bandwidth requirements increase. The lack of dedicated VRAM means the GPU competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth, potentially causing additional bottlenecks.

The GPU's 80 W TDP and IGP form factor indicate that it is designed for low-power integrated use rather than high-performance gaming. The 3 nm process node is efficient, but efficiency cannot compensate for the relatively low shading unit count and the 24 ROPs. In practical terms, this GPU performs at a level comparable to integrated graphics from a decade ago, which is consistent with its 9th percentile ranking.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for The Long Drive with this combo spans three resolutions and four settings tiers, providing a comprehensive picture of performance.

At 1080p, the system delivers:

• Low: 95 FPS average
• Medium: 78 FPS average, with minimum 66 and maximum 90
• High: 49 FPS average
• Ultra: 34 FPS average

The 1080p results show a clear progression: each settings tier costs roughly 20-30 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium costs 17 FPS; Medium to High costs 29 FPS; High to Ultra costs 15 FPS. The Medium settings minimum of 66 FPS indicates that even with frame dips, the game remains playable at this resolution.

At 1440p, performance drops significantly:

• Low: 63 FPS average
• Medium: 51 FPS average, with minimum 44 and maximum 59
• High: 32 FPS average
• Ultra: 22 FPS average

The 1440p results show a similar pattern but with compressed absolute values. The settings progression from Low to Ultra costs 41 FPS total, with the largest single drop occurring between Medium and High (19 FPS). The Medium settings minimum of 44 FPS is still above playability thresholds, but High and Ultra dip below 35 FPS.

At 4K, the system struggles:

• Low: 35 FPS average
• Medium: 29 FPS average, with minimum 24 and maximum 33
• High: 18 FPS average
• Ultra: 12 FPS average

The 4K results demonstrate the GPU's fundamental inability to handle high pixel counts. Even at Low settings, the 35 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target. Ultra settings at 12 FPS are effectively a slideshow. The Medium settings range of 24-33 FPS shows that frame times are relatively consistent, but at a level that makes gameplay difficult.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: the Arc B390's pixel throughput is the limiting factor, and the i7-12700KF's considerable CPU resources go unused. The data indicates that this combo is suitable for 1080p gaming at Low-to-Medium settings, marginal at 1440p with Low settings, and unsuitable for 4K gaming beyond a Low-settings slideshow.